


Restless

by ericaismeg



Series: 30 Days of Writing [3]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: 30 Days of Writing, Derek Helps Stiles, Derek Takes Care Of Stiles, M/M, Pack Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-30
Updated: 2014-04-30
Packaged: 2018-01-21 10:45:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1547828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ericaismeg/pseuds/ericaismeg
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You’re restless,” Derek tells him. “And you’re worrying about things that haven’t occurred yet. But if it makes you feel better, I’ll cut you a deal.”</p><p>“What’s that?” Stiles asks, looking up at him.</p><p>“You come and relax with me. Eat my frozen goods. Have one night to do nothing. We can put on some movies if you want. Something light. I’d even be willing to watch a romantic comedy.”</p><p>“And then?” Stiles whispers.</p><p>“And then I’ll figure something out.” Derek leans into Stiles. “Trust me?”</p><p>Stiles scoffs, and Derek tilts his head. Stiles says, “Yeah, dude. Yeah.”<br/>***<br/>Derek comes up with a plan to keep Stiles from feeling like a sitting duck when things quiet down in Beacon Hills.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Restless

**Author's Note:**

> I've decided to attempt this [writing challenge](http://foxerica.tumblr.com/post/84097258077/felicitygs-spontaneousfangasm).
> 
> Day Three.
> 
> No one said I had to do the words in order. The word of the day: restless.

            “Aren’t you worried?” Stiles asks once everyone’s left the pack meeting and he’s alone in the loft with Derek. He tended to hang around after pack meetings, and Derek tried not to question it. His eyes are round, filled with worry.

            Derek isn’t sure how to comfort him. He’d never been good at that kind of thing, not even when his family had been alive. Once Laura had come home with tears running down her face and all Derek had been able to do is hold her. He’s not sure that Stiles would be comfortable with that.

             His eyebrows come together, and before he can think of something to say, Stiles adds, “It’s been quiet. Too quiet. I know that the others, well, they’re just relieved. They’re enjoying their break from the insanity. We had fun tonight, watching the movie.”

            “Except you wouldn’t quit fidgeting,” Derek says before he can think about it.

            Stiles doesn’t give him a smile, not like he usually does. He just nods gravely. “It’s _too_ quiet, Derek. Something big is going to happen. I just know it.”

            “No,” Derek says as firmly as he can. “Life is unpredictable, but it can’t always be a chaotic mess. We get a break.”

            “I don’t know, man. I have a bad feeling.” Stiles glances out the window. Derek watches as Stiles gets lost in his own thoughts.

            “What do you want to do, then?” Derek asks, heading to the kitchen. He pulls open the fridge door and ducks his head down to look. It’s not that he can’t smell everything in the fridge to know what’s there, but he hasn’t made his mind up just yet.

            Stiles says, “I don’t know” as Derek shuts the door and opens the freezer door. Maybe something frozen for dinner would be better. He tugs on a box of macaroni and cheese, and then spots some garlic bread. That’d work.

            “Hungry?” Derek asks, holding the two items up.

            Stiles shrugs, and waves a hand. “Sure, whatever. I just…don’t you _feel_ it, Derek?”

            There are a few minutes of silence as Derek turns on the stove, and gets out the appropriate pans. Then he walks over to stand beside Stiles. He puts a hand on the kid’s shoulder and says, “ _Stiles_ , it’s going to be okay. You’re probably not used to relaxing or being carefree anymore, because your life for the past two years has been problem after problem, fear after fear, and worry after worry. Just take a deep breath.”

            Stiles listens, inhaling very slowly. He holds his breath for six seconds before he lets out a long exhale. Derek can feel a slight change in Stiles’ tenseness. “What if, what if we’re not prepared this time, Derek?”

            “You’re restless,” Derek tells him. “And you’re worrying about things that haven’t occurred yet. _But_ if it makes you feel better, I’ll cut you a deal.”

            “What’s that?” Stiles asks, looking up at him.

            “You come and relax with me. Eat my frozen goods. Have _one_ night to do nothing. We can put on some movies if you want. Something light. I’d even be willing to watch a romantic comedy.”

            “And then?” Stiles whispers.

            “And then I’ll figure something out.” Derek leans into Stiles. “Trust me?”

            Stiles scoffs, and Derek tilts his head. Stiles says, “Yeah, dude. Yeah.”

            “Good.” Derek’s not sure what he’ll do to help Stiles, but he knows that he won’t stop until he figures it out. He puts his hands on Stiles’ shoulders, steers him into the living room, and gently pushes him down onto the couch. “Come on, let’s get you settled.”

            Stiles curls his legs up on the couch, and yawns wildly. “I feel…”

            “Tired?” Derek offers.

            “Like a sitting duck,” Stiles murmurs. He looks up at Derek, with big eyes, and says, “You get me, Derek. I like that. Don’t get me wrong, Scott would be extra reassuring that we’ll be okay. Allison would say that we should enjoy the time we have, our break from the craziness. Lydia would probably tell me that she’s set up a chart of some sort, figuring out the likelihood of things showing up in Beacon Hills. And—”

            “Stiles,” Derek interrupts. He blinks. “Relax.”

            “I…”

            “Tomorrow, we’ll figure it out tomorrow.” Derek glances at Stiles before he bends down to look at his DVD collection. Stiles had dragged his ass out to a sale at Wal-Mart a few months ago. They’d spent almost four hundred dollars just on DVDs. Derek doesn’t mind though, because Stiles has made it his mission to watch all of them with Derek. Whether they do on relaxed pack nights, or just them, it’s nice.

            “But you get it. You know me. You know…you just get it.” Stiles yawns again. “How long until dinner’s ready?”

            “Almost an hour. I haven’t put it in the oven yet,” Derek responds. He yanks out a DVD from the tower, and holds it up for Stiles. “How about this?”

            Stiles snorts. “Yeah, dude. Yeah, we can watch _Legally Blonde_. You’re going to enjoy it.”

            “Good,” Derek says.

 

♚♞♚♞♚♞

 

 

            When Derek wakes up, he finds he can’t stretch out. But he doesn’t mind. Stiles is sprawled out on top of him, his face buried into Derek’s shirt. He takes a moment, to enjoy the feeling. If there’s one thing Derek can count on it’s that Stiles always smells like goodness and home. There’s probably a mix of cinnamon in there too. Derek doesn’t care, because he just smells like Stiles to him.

            He finally sits up, Stiles moving with him and staying dead asleep. Derek squeezes out from underneath him, and Stiles moves his hands in the air, as though he’s searching for him. Derek scoops him up into his arms, and Stiles snuggles closer to him.

            Derek brings him to his bed. He carefully lays Stiles down, bringing a blanket over his body, and takes a moment to watch him. He listens to the steady beat of Stiles’ heart. Then he scribbles out a note.

 

      ** _Stiles,_**

            **_Stay in bed. Picking up food. Will be back soon. Put on a movie if you want._**

**_-D_ **

**_Ps. I have a game plan._ **

 

            Hopefully, that will keep Stiles here. Derek changes as quickly as possible, going into the washroom only to brush his teeth, and then he’s grabbing his cell phone, wallet, and keys.

            Just before he had passed out beneath Stiles’ warm, ~~sexy~~ , ~~arousing~~ body, Derek had realized what he could do to help Stiles. He wants to have most of it arranged before Stiles wakes up, because he doesn’t want Stiles to worry anymore.

            The first stop he makes is to the library. He sets up an account, and ignores the way the librarian eyes him. She makes some remark about how the last time he had had books out, they’d been burned, and Derek tries not to lunge at her. Instead, he growls that they’re for the Sheriff’s kid, and she lightens up. _Rude bitch_ is what Stiles would’ve called her.

            With four books now on his new account, Derek sits in the library parking lot to make a call.

            “ _Hale_?” A feminine voice answers the phone, but she doesn’t sound confused. She sounds bored. How is it that Lydia Martin could always pull off that tone?

            “I’m going to need you to do me a favour,” Derek says without any small talk. She makes a small humming noise of interest. “I’m going to drop off the Argents’ bestiary to you in thirty minutes, hopefully. There’s no rush, but I need you to start translating the entire thing.”

            “That’s a large favour, Hale,” Lydia tells him. He can hear the sounds of her stretching out.

            “It’s for Stiles,” Derek says simply.

            “I’ll get dressed,” is all Lydia says before she hangs up without a goodbye. Typical Lydia, and Derek finds himself smiling.

            Derek pulls out of the parking lot. Five minutes later, he knocks on the Argents’ door. When Allison answers it, she gives him a big yawn. “If there’s an emergency, you should’ve called. I would’ve been dressed.”

            He hadn’t even noticed she was in pyjamas. “Is your dad home?”   

            Allison nods, and calls down the hall, “ _Dad!_ Derek’s here.”

            A head pops out of a door, and Derek gives Isaac a small up-nod. Isaac waves and then steps out, clearly not caring if Derek sees him in his boxers—which is great, because Derek could not give less of a shit. “Hey man, what’s going on? Everything okay?”

            “It’s fine,” Derek says. He glances at their sudden concern faces, and then adds, “I just need a favour.”

            Chris steps out from down the hall and rubs the back of his head. “Derek, what can I do for you?”

            “I need the bestiary,” Derek informs him. Three faces give him questioning looks. “Lydia’s going to start translating it. Page by page.”

            “That thing is like 900 pages!” Isaac exclaims.

            “It’s for Stiles,” Derek says in explanation. He had figured out a long time ago that anyone in the pack would do anything for Stiles, which probably stems from the fact that Stiles would do anything for them.

            “Then perhaps we should try to help her,” Allison says with a nod. She pats Isaac’s chest. “Let’s go get changed. Tell Lydia we’ll bring it over soon.”

            “You…alright,” Chris says, shaking his head. He looks at Derek. “You didn’t need me to make that decision.”

            “Oh,” Derek glances between daughter and father. He vaguely remembers something about Scott saying that the women were the leaders in the family. “Well, thank you all.”

            “Do you want coffee or something, Derek?” Chris asks.

            “I appreciate it,” Derek says with a nod, “but I have to decline. Perhaps next week.”

            “Sounds good. Send me a text,” Chris says, with a yawn. “If it’s not life or death, I’m going back to sleep. Let me know if you need anything else, Hale.”

            “When Lydia finishes some of the book, Stiles and I would like to sit down with you—get your personal knowledge, any other details that aren’t in the book.” Derek studies Argent, who’s studying him right back.

            “Are you making a full-English bestiary of your own?” Chris asks.

            “More like a Guide to the Supernatural,” Derek offers as an explanation.

            Allison and Isaac slip back down the hall into her room.

            Chris nods. “Just send me a text. My bed is calling me.”

            “Thank you.”

            Derek heads out. He has a few more stops, and checks his phone. There aren’t any texts from Stiles, but he sends one to Lydia.

 

 **DEREK:** _Allison and Isaac are bringing it, and will help_

 **LYDIA:** _Thanks, Hale._

He doesn’t respond, but knocks on the McCall door a few minutes later. Scott answers it, in his Superman boxers, and his hair a mess. Derek doesn’t care though. He’s on a mission. “Allison and Isaac are going to help Lydia translate the bestiary.”

            Scott blinks, and then groans. “Well good morning to you too, Derek.”

            “Can you tell Deaton that Stiles and I will be stopping by sometime to talk to him about things?”

            Scott gives him a confused expression, but then it’s followed by a yawn. “Yeah, sure, whatever you want dude.”

            “Also, I would like to know what Stiles’ favourite foods are,” Derek adds, quieter. He’s tried to figure it out, but Stiles just eats everything and enjoys it all.

            At this, Scott snorts. “Everything, dude. Food is his life.”

            “So…”

            “So you can’t go wrong.” Scott rubs his eyes. “What are you doing here, anyway?”

            “I…thought you’d like to know what your pack is doing.”

            Scott glances down at his cell phone. “It’s 8:45AM. I could still be sleeping.”

            “Oh. I’m still not sure what the correct protocol is,” Derek admits.

            “It’s okay, dude. Maybe no non-emergency stuff before 10AM on a Saturday though?”

            “Okay.” He turns to leave.

            Scott stops him by asking, “Why did you want to know what Stiles’ favourite food is?”

            “He’s sleeping at my place right now.” Derek glances over his shoulder. “I just thought it’d be nice…after everything he’s been through.”

            Scott smiles. “It is nice. I’m glad he stayed over last night. He hasn’t been sleeping well lately.”

            Derek nods. It’s nothing he doesn’t already know. Then he gets back into his Camaro. One more stop before the grocery store.

 

 **ALLISON:** _we’re leaving for Lydia’s now, but just wanted to make sure that Stiles is okay_

            He debates telling Allison the truth. He has a feeling that Stiles is wrong. Allison wouldn’t want to be a sitting duck either, so he’s honest.

**DEREK:** _he will be_

 

            He pulls into the driveway, but doesn’t go to the front door. Instead, he focuses for a minute before he senses her. Derek feels truly creepy now, but he has to get this done. He has to make this better for Stiles, somehow. He knocks on Kira’s window.

            Derek yelps when he feels a small electrical zap. Then Kira’s face appears. She looks a little sheepish as she opens the window. “Sorry.”

            “S’okay,” Derek mumbles.

            “Um, what are you doing here?” Kira asks. Derek has to admit, he really likes the girl. She has substance.

            “Does your family have any books about all of your…supernatural history?” Derek asks quietly.

            Kira nods. “Yeah, yeah we do. At least, I _assume_ we must have more than one book. Considering how old my mother is…”

            “Do you think we could borrow that this week?” Derek asks.

            “I’ll make sure you get it. Scott texted me about your plans,” Kira adds. “I just didn’t think you would stop by here.”

            “I…yeah,” Derek says, shrugging.

            “You look like you’re on a mission,” Kira comments. She gives him a smile. “Perhaps you should finish it? I’ll get whatever information we have to you as soon as I can find it.”

            “Thanks, Kira,” Derek says, giving her a smile.

            “I’ll text you if I find anything,” she assures him. Then with a wave of her hand. “Go! Feed Stiles.”

            He hates Scott.

            Just a little.

            Time for the grocery store, and then home where Stiles would most likely be passed out still. If the world gave out small favours though.

            While he’s throwing food into the grocery cart, his phone buzzes.

 

 **ERICA:** _apparently you’ve been running around talking to the pack today?  
_ **ERICA:** _I’m feeling left out, Derek_

**DEREK:** _sorry  
_ **DEREK:** _come over with junk food tonight and booze and wolfsbane_

 **ERICA:** _party?! I’m down  
_ **ERICA:** _btw, Stiles slept over last night?_

 

She’s the only one he’s confided in regarding any emotions around Stiles. He has regretted that confession about thirty thousand times since making it.

 

 **DEREK:** _yes, platonically_

 **ERICA:** _sure, sure  
_ **ERICA:** _see you around seven boo!_

 

♚♞♚♞♚♞

 

            “Where have you been?” Stiles asks when Derek enters the loft. He holds up six different grocery bags to answer the question. Only Stiles is frowning. “No, _dude_ , it did not take you over two hours to go grocery shopping.”

            “I told you,” Derek says as he drops the bags onto his island in the kitchen. “I have a game plan.”

            “What is it?” Stiles asks, still frowning at him. “Is it to feed me?”

            “Yes, but no,” Derek answers. “Why don’t you go out to the car and grab the items in the backseat?”

            “Seriously dude,” is the only thing Stiles says as he storms out of the apartment. Derek can feel it though. The restless energy that’s now oozing off Stiles, and Derek hopes his plan makes it fade away.

            Stiles comes back into the apartment, puzzled. “You got some books on the supernatural world?”

            “Yes,” Derek tells him.

            Before he can say anything else, the loft door is opening behind Stiles. They both look to see Lydia, Allison and Isaac walk in. Lydia holds up the bestiary. “Okay, so we’ve been reading the very first few pages and discovered some stuff that we didn’t want to wait to share.”

            “What?” Stiles says, and looks back at Derek. “What’s going on?”

            “We’re here!” Scott announces as he and Kira enter the loft. “We came as soon as we got your text.”

            Derek mentally groans. “Text?”

            “Yeah. Emergency pack meeting,” Lydia answers as if it explains everything. Stiles’ expression explains it all.

            “ _Why_?” Stiles demands. He looks at Derek. “I _told_ you something big was coming.”

            “What?” Lydia asks. “No, Stiles. There isn’t any immediate threat. We just realized that it doesn’t make sense for us to translate this information without telling everyone. It’d be easier if we all went through this information. Then _if_ something arises, we’re not all left completely out of the loop or defenceless.”

            “Sorry we’re late!” Erica says when she comes in. Derek just puts his forehead down on the table. “I had to pick up some booze for the party later.”

            “Hey,” Boyd says, probably nodding at someone.

            Derek hates this pack sometimes.

            Stiles is moving towards him. He doesn’t even need wolf senses to know it. “Derek, what’s going on?”

            He looks up, feeling himself flush a little. “Listen, you were restless, anxious, worried… You don’t want to feel like a sitting duck…so I thought…”

            “He thought that we could work through translating the bestiary,” Allison continues when Derek finds that he can’t. She points to the books that Stiles had dropped on the library. “And fill in any missing blanks, so we have our own Guide to the Supernatural.”

            Derek holds his breath while Stiles contemplates the information. Then Stiles smiles, and asks, “You did this for me?”

            “Well, you…”

            “You came up with a solution,” Stiles tells him, “for my worries.”

            “Sure,” Derek says, shrugging.

            His chest is tightening though, because if Stiles tells him it’s a stupid idea…but Stiles doesn’t. He just rushes forward to wrap his arms around Derek. It takes Derek a bit before he catches Kira’s eyes and she motions for him to wrap his arms around Stiles. He does.

            “I told you—you get me,” Stiles murmurs, his face buried deep into Derek’s shirt. “Thank you.”

            “It’s not a big deal.”

            “It is.”

            “Did you get enough food for all of us?” Erica asks, pointing at the groceries. “Because it’s way too early for me and I am _starved_.”

            “I think we can manage,” Derek tells her.

            Stiles smiles at him, and the pack spreads out across the living room. Lydia’s calming voice reads the first few pages of the bestiary. Kira sits on her laptop, typing everything up. Allison’s scribbling down any questions that the pack voices. Scott is listening intently, occasionally asking Lydia to repeat sentences. Isaac is flipping through one of the library books for any additional information. Erica is helping Derek in the kitchen with the cooking. Boyd is observing carefully, and Derek figures he’ll be able to recount any of the things being told at any moment.

            Stiles…well, Stiles is curled up on the couch occasionally shooting his hand in the air with a question, comment, or concern. He’s also writing a list of things that they should get—things that can protect them from certain creatures.

            Kira leaves for about forty-five minutes at one point to pick up books that her dad had put into a box for her, and Isaac takes over the typing for that time. He tells Lydia to slow down a couple times.

            Overall, when Derek and Erica pass out plates of food, he feels content. By the look on Stiles’ face, so does Stiles.

 

♚♞♚♞♚♞

 

            “Stiles, you’re getting restless again.”

            “I know,” Stiles mumbles. He tosses his pen across the table. It rolls off the floor.

            Derek raises an eyebrow. “Was that necessary?”

            “Yes. No. Maybe.” Stiles frowns, and his eyebrows move downwards together, his lips narrow, and press tight. “I just don’t know if I can focus on this anymore.”

            “That’s okay. Let’s put it away for the night,” Derek says. He closes the book after setting a bookmark in it.

            The two of them had taken it upon themselves to write down their experiences and knowledge under the Kanima, werewolf, Darach, Nemeton, Nogitsune, and coyote sections. The rest of the pack had agreed that they could do those particular sections. It’s not exactly a happy trail down memory lane, but Derek thinks they’re both doing a good job holding it together.

            “What’s going on?” Derek asks. He saves the file on Stiles’ laptop before he closes that too. “Want to talk about it or watch a movie?”

            “I…I’m restless,” Stiles murmurs. “But it’s not for…it’s not…it’s _not_ for the reasons that it was a few months ago.”

            “Oh.” Derek isn’t sure what to say to that. He’s standing now, and feeling incredibly awkward. Then he smells it. His eyes flash to Stiles’. “ _Oh_.”

            “Yeah,” Stiles mumbles. “I haven’t…in a while.”

            “Why not?” Derek asks.

            “It was getting a little boring,” Stiles admits. “I mean, you can only do it so much by yourself before it loses its intensity, its fun.”

            Derek nods. “Well, I’m sure you could ask Lydia to set you up on a date. Allison or Erica would definitely…help.”

            Stiles shakes his head. “I don’t want someone new.”

            “Oh.” Derek walks towards the TV. He doesn’t entirely know what he’s supposed to do with this information. He skims the DVD selection. They don’t have many left to go through, before Stiles will take him on another trip to Wal-Mart.

            “I want someone I trust,” Stiles tells him from the kitchen table. “Someone that knows me, _all_ of me, that I can I be myself around.”

            “That’s good,” Derek answers. He finds a DVD they haven’t watched yet, and pulls it out. “How about _The Notebook_?”

            “Uh, sure,” Stiles says, getting up. He flops down on the couch while Derek sets it up. “I want someone who cares about me, someone who would _die_ for me.”

            “That sounds nice,” Derek murmurs. His throat is thick. Why is his throat thick? He doesn’t need to ask the question to know the answer. He hates the idea of Stiles with someone…else.

            “Hit play and come over here, would you?” Stiles demands.

            Derek listens, and sits down on the couch. While Stiles can’t stop moving, Derek can’t bring himself to so much as lift a finger off his thighs or turn to look at Stiles.

            Stiles is suddenly very close to Derek.

            “Derek, I…we’ve become _extra_ close these past few months. The late nights doing extra research outside of pack meetings,” Stiles says. His voice is breathy and _very_ close to Derek’s ear. He doesn’t turn though, because he can’t focus on Stiles’ heartbeat. His is too loud.

            “Yes, we have,” Derek mumbles.

            Stiles leans in, and Derek’s entire body jerks a little when his hand lands on his knee. His head snaps to look at Stiles, who is far too close. “Derek, am I the only one feeling it?”

            The silence drags on for far too long. His mouth has gone dry. Finally, he gives Stiles the honest to god truth.

            “No,” Derek admits.

            The word breaks something in the air. Stiles leans closer and then quietly says, “I’m far too restless tonight. You should do something about that.”

            “Ah…okay,” Derek says, leaning forward.

            Their lips hit, and Derek could not tell a soul the plot of _The Notebook_. He just knows that while two people fell in love on the screen, he’s falling in love on the couch.

**Author's Note:**

> The ending is cheesy. Like omg. I am truly sorry.


End file.
